For the Greater Good
by Unexpected-Adventures
Summary: Albus Dumbledore had always loved him. That's what he hated most. And everything he did, he did because he loved him. But it would all be worth it in the future; it would all 'for the greater good.' A Short Story for Round 4 of Quidditch League Writing Competition!


**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters/story lines that belong to it, all credit goes to God-Queen Rowling!**

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**This is a short story I wrote for Round 4 of the Quidditch League Writing Competition I am currently in.  
I am Chaser 2 for the Caerphilly Catapults!**

**Pairing: Albus Dumbledore & Gellert Grindelwald  
Subject: Love  
****Prompts: Black, Addiction, Dialogue: "Didn't we have fun though?"**

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_"For the greater good."_

_That's what was always said. That's what was always believed._

_Whenever Albus tended to overthink about the consequences of their plans, those were the words he always heard, and in _his_ voice –_

_It always made the pain worse…_

_Albus never slept very much during his days teaching at Hogwarts. _

_When he slept, he thought, and when he thought, he thought of _him_._

_During the day it was not often Albus had the chance to ponder over his own thoughts without being bothered by a complaint or summon – but he liked that about his job._

_If he ever had time alone to think it was inevitable _he_ would slip into his thoughts, one way or another. And those thoughts were almost unbearable for Albus._

_Sometimes it was nice to remember his late teenage years, how _he_ had appeared as if an angel from an unknown world. And how Albus had been taken _him_... _

_It was hard to impress Albus Dumbledore, even in his younger years, but _he_ had managed to. Then again, whom didn't _he_ impress? Who couldn't help but love the handsome and talented Gellert Grindelwald?_

* * *

"Honestly Albus," Bathilda Bagshot said disapprovingly as she came bustling into her living room, where Albus sat on one of the armchairs with his nose buried in a book, "One would think a mind like yours would overfill with the amount of knowledge you put in it."

"Ah, Bathilda one can never have enough books," Albus smirked, too immersed in his book to look up, "But I suppose by the time I'm old I'll be sick of them and wishing for something more unique – like _socks_."

"We shall see, young man," Bathilda mused and cleared her throat in an attempt to gain Albus' attention, "Albus, I would like to introduce you to my great-nephew, he just arrived."

Albus sighed and finally looked up from his book. There was Bathilda, in one of her usual floral cardigans, and next to her stood a boy, around Albus' age, with a mane of blonde hair and dazzling blue eyes.

Albus immediately stood up from his chair, nodding politely at the boy but never taking his gaze away from his face.

"Albus, this is Gellert Grindelwald – he's about your age," she gestured towards her nephew, "Gellert, Albus Dumbledore here lives next door."

Gellert nodded stiffly to Albus and stepped forward to shake his hand, which Albus took, trying not to show how mesmerized he was by the blonde boy's face or that he felt a jolt of electricity at his touch.

"Gellert is going to be living with me from now often," Bathilda continued, unaware of the strange silence passing through Albus, "So you will be seeing a lot more of each other – I expect you to get acquainted!"

And with that Bathilda bustled off into the next room, leaving Albus and Gellert in an awkward silence.

But Albus hardly noticed it...

* * *

Albus sat locked in his room pouring over books and notes, as he usually did to fill the time these days.

It was quiet in the Dumbledore household, with Ariana sleeping peacefully in her room and Aberforth away at Hogwarts, but Albus liked it this way.

The silence helped him concentrate and deal with the fact that he was solely responsible for his younger siblings now that both his mother and father were… were gone…

A tap on the window made him jump and his thoughts quickly disappeared. A familiar tawny owl sat on the window ledge with an envelope clutched in its beak.

Albus' heart leapt, the way it always did when he got a letter from Gellert. These letters were like an addiction to him, he craved for them night and day. Despite not being able to see him, Albus loved to read his words and stare at his handwriting in the way he knew he could not stare at the real Gellert.

This was the way they communicated now, despite the fact they lived next door. Gellert thought it would be suspicious if they were around one another too much, so most of the time their plans were created via owl post.

Albus didn't exactly like this method, preferring to spend time with Gellert and not his owl, but he always found a way to see him.

The seventeen year old leapt to the windowsill and took the letter gently from the owl and sat down on the edge of his bed, eagerly tearing at the envelope.

_Albus –_

_I would be delighted if you and Ariana would join Bathilda and I for dinner this evening (she's cooking beef stew and I need a good excuse to leave my plate untouched).  
Bring your copy of _Nature's Nobility_ – I have a theory I wish to discuss with you regarding our last debate.  
Hope to see you tonight –_

_Gellert_

_P.S. What do you think of: _"For the greater good?"_ Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?_

Albus sighed quietly – of course that was why Gellert wanted him to visit, for yet another discussion. It was never just to spend time together.

He probably wanted to talk more about the dominance of wizards over Muggles, which Albus didn't all agree with, but he didn't want to argue. Gellert was very dominant in his beliefs, and Albus did not wish to say anything that could cause a rift in their friendship… he couldn't cope with that.

His fingers ran over Gellert's handwriting absentmindedly as he thought.

He would go along with Gellert's plans, and agree with everything he said, because he loved him.

And it would all be worth it in the future; it would all be _for the greater good_.

* * *

"Don't you remember, Albus?" Gellert asked with a high-pitched maniacal laugh, "Don't you remember what we used to tell each other?"

The years had not been kind to Gellert Grindelwald. His once flowing blonde hair was grey and unkempt, and his dazzling blue eyes were flat and black, bearing no emotions.

Albus had him cornered against a high stonewall, his wand raised high and pointed directly at Grindelwald's heart. Both men had sweat pouring from their foreheads after the intense dueling battle that had just occurred between them.

Albus did not respond, and merely stared at Gellert with a blank expression, blocking his mind from any intruders.

Gellert let out yet another maniacal laugh that sent chills down Albus' spine.

Aurors began to appear on the scene, but Albus held out a hand to stop them moving closer. He needed to know what Gellert had to say…

"Surely you recall what we used to use as our excuse?" Gellert asked, "Our excuse to dominate the world of Muggles…?"

"Do not dwell on the past, Gellert," Albus said coldly, "We were no more than foolish children."

"Children, you say?" Gellert raised an eyebrow, his voice was full of malice and cruel, "Didn't we have fun though?"

Albus neither laughed or replied to this comment, choosing to bide his time and wait for an outburst - which eventually came.

"We may have been children, but we had _dreams_- we had _power_! We could have been _rulers_, Albus!"

"You know in your heart that is not true," Albus quickly replied, "We are brilliant wizards, but rulers? No."

"What changed after all these years, Albus?" Gellert asked quietly, studying Albus' face carefully, which still remained emotionless as ever.

"Ah, but I should have remembered," Gellert continued maliciously, "After the death of your _squib_ sister you became a Muggle-lover, did you not?"

It took all the control in the world for Albus not to kill Gellert right then and there – but he knew why Gellert was saying this, and he knew he was a better man than that. He would not dishonor his sister's memory… not today.

Albus moved his eyes so that they met Gellert's, and for a second, a split second, Albus thought he saw through the black shadow to the dazzling blue eyes he had first fallen in love with.

"Goodbye, Gellert," Albus said softly, and motioned to the Aurors to close in on him.

Gellert remained silent, but just before Albus turned away, he nodded stiffly, just like he had when they had first met that fateful day in Godric's Hollow.

Albus turned his back on Gellert Grindelwald for the last time and his heart slowly broke.

He had known all along it would have to happen at some point, and it did. But just because he was expecting it did not dull the pain; it only seemed to make it worse.

He would act like their last meeting meant nothing, and agree with everything the jury would inevitably say about Gellert, because he loved him.

And it would all be worth it in the future; it would all be _for the greater good_.


End file.
